Solar Impulse - Across America 2013 patch.
July 7, 2013
Prototype Plane Completes Across America Mission Powered Only by Solar Energy
Image above: Across America 2013:Final leg from Washington DC. to New-York City. Landing. Solar Impulse / Merz / Rezo.ch.
Solar Impulse – the solar-powered airplane of Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg – has successfully landed at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport setting a new milestone in the history of aviation: for the first time a plane capable of flying day and night powered exclusively by solar energy has crossed the USA from the West to the East Coasts without using a single drop of fuel.
Across America: Landing in New York JFK
André Borschberg, Solar Impulse Co-founder and CEO, landed Solar Impulse at JFK on Saturday, July 6 at 11:09 p.m. EDT, 3 hours earlier than planned because of a rip in the fabric on the lower side of the left wing. The flight took 18h 23min with a departure from Washington Dulles at 04:46 a.m. EDT on Saturday.
Flight Washington KIAD - New-York KJFK
- Pilot: André Borschberg, Co-Founder and CEO
- Take off : July 6th 04:46AM EDT (UTC-4)
- Landing: July 6th 11:09PM EDT (UTC-4)
- Flight duration: 18h23min
- Average ground speed: 27km/h (15 kts)
- Highest altitude reached: 3110 m (10 200 ft)
- Flight Distance: 495 km (~267 NM)
“This last leg was especially difficult due to the damage of the fabric on the left wing. It obliged the team to envisage all the possible scenarios, including bailing out over the Atlantic. But this type of problem is inherent to every experimental endeavor. In the end, this didn’t prevent us from succeeding in our Across America mission and provided an invaluable learning experience in preparation for the round-the-world tour in 2015,” said André Borschberg shortly after landing, adding “we extend our gratitude to all airport and government authorities whose precious support made this mission possible.”
Image above: Across America 2013:Final leg from Washington DC. to New-York City. Checking of the damages on the wing. Solar Impulse / Merz / Rezo.ch.
The arrival of Solar Impulse in New York City marks the culmination of its ambitious journey Across America, which started on May 3rd in San Francisco, California. The journey took a total of 105h 41min and 3511 miles flown at an average speed of 28.8 kt. Before reaching New York, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg alternately flew Solar Impulse to Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Washington D.C. The plane stopped over in each of these cities giving the opportunity to the team to organize public viewings and political meetings with high level representatives such as Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, to promote clean technologies, energy efficiency and renewable energies.
Image above: Across America 2013:Final leg from Washington DC. to New-York City. A. Borschberg and B. Piccard just after the successful landing. Solar Impulse / Merz / Rezo.ch.
“Flying coast-to-coast has always been a mythical milestone full of challenges for aviation pioneers. During this journey, we had to find solutions for a lot of unforeseen situations, which obliged us to develop new skills and strategies. In doing so, we also pushed the boundaries of clean technologies and renewable energies to unprecedented levels,” said Dr. Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse Initiator, Chairman and pilot.
For more information about Solar Impulse, visit: http://www.solarimpulse.com/
Image (mentioned), Video, Text, Credit: Solar Impulse.
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